LANCE BRIDGE
Regimental No. 82255
15 June 1889 - 13 August 1915
Lance Bridge was the ninth of ten sons of Herbert and Adele Lenore St John (nee Graves) Bridge of Oriental Bay, Wellington. Lance was born in Wellington on 15 June 1889. He started school at Clyde Quay School, then moved to the Terrace School before going to Wellington College for his secondary level education.
Lance was a great lover of outdoor sports being a fine footballer, swimmer, boxer, oarsman and runner. For several years he represented the Wellington Football Club in senior matches and he was also a prominent member of the Star Rowing Club upon whose social committee he sat for some time. Prior to enlisting on 10 August 1914 he had some military experience as a member of his Wellington College cadets. When war broke out in August 1914 he was an assistant accountant with the Dunlop Rubber Company, Courtenay Place, Wellington.
He left his position to enlist only 6 days after war had been declared, being amongst the first to join the Samoan Expeditionary Force which left New Zealand on 12th August.
On enlistment his “apparent age” was 26 years 2 months; height 5 feet 9 inches; and weight 9 stone 10 lb. His complexion was described as dark with grey eyes and dark hair. His medical examination on 10 August 1914 in Wellington pronounced him fit for military service with good eyesight and hearing, well-formed limbs and chest, a normal heart and lungs, good teeth and free of any “slight defects,” including free from hernia, varicose veins and haemorrhoids. His religious profession was Church of England.
He joined the 5th Wellington Regiment, B Company, with the regimental number 1/495 and embarked on HMNZT 1 aboard the Monowai on 12 August 1914. The Monowai, along with the Moeraki, the other New Zealand troopship, were soon joined by two New Zealand warships (third class cruisers), the Psyche and the Philomel, and then a “P” class cruiser Pyramus which made their way together to Noumea, where two fully laden New Zealand colliers were waiting to join the expedition. Shortly after their arrival the Australian flagship Australia and the light-cruiser Melbourne arrived to bolster the “fleet” which after being provisioned sailed for Apia via a brief stop-over in Suva on Sunday 23rd August.
Arriving on the shores of Samoa on 29 August 1914, occupation was completed within 24 hours, without a single shot being fired, the local German authorities having offered no resistance. Samoa thus became the second German territory to fall to British imperial forces, Togoland (West Africa) having capitulated four days earlier.
During the ensuing occupation of Samoa an unofficial newspaper was produced to entertain and inform the troops stationed in and around Apia. This was called in Pull-thro' the unofficial organ of the Advance Party of the NZ Expeditionary Force, Apia, Samoa, Lance featured briefly on a couple of occasions:
“Privates Lance Bridge, Kirkwood, Russel, Jenkinson, Wiggins, Fraser, of No, 8 Platoon, are there at any time you want them, and are guaranteed to take a lot of beating either at meals or swimming.”
“Private Not-Paid-often-Saugh Bridge, despite his modesty, sometimes gives the natives a treat.”
Lance was hospitalised for 10 days from 26 December 1914 to 4 January 1915 suffering from dengue fever, from which he made a full recovery. A number of New Zealand troops in Samoa suffered from this condition. He left Apia on-board HMNZT No 16 (Talune) on 10 March and arrived in Wellington on 22 March 1915.
On his return he immediately (on 8 April 1915) joined the 4th Reinforcements as a member of the Otago Infantry Battalion as a member of the 14th Company with the regimental number of 8/8255. Lance left Wellington on 17 April 1915 on HMNZT No 21 (Willochra) which arrived in Suez on 25 May 1915.
He had less than 12 weeks to live.
He arrived on Gallipoli on 6 August 1915, and a mere three days later he was fatally wounded, trying to save a wounded mate who had served with him in Samoa. Both of them were caught by Turkish machine-gun fire on 9 August. Lance survived for five days, though mortally wounded, finally succumbing on 13 August. The manner of his death was described in a letter from Sergeant Vial to Lance’s father Herbert, who released the letter for publication in the Evening Post on October 22, 1915. The poignant and rather gruesome details as printed are available below. He died at sea on-board the hospital ship Drongola and was buried at sea. He was 27 years of age.
As a mark of respect the Wellington Football Club announced that it was forfeiting all its matches on 21 August 1915 to the memory of Private Lance Bridge and Lieutenant Grace, who had been a noted rifle shot in command of the sniping parties in No 3 section of the Anzac perimeter until he had been killed in action on Gallipoli on 8/8/15.
Lance Bridge’s medals were sent to his father Herbert on 7 September 1921.
Lance Bridge is remembered with honour at the Lone Pine Memorial Gallipoli and on the Roseneath War Memorial. He is also named, along with his brother Hugh, on a commemorative board inside St Barnabas Anglican church adjacent to the War Memorial. He is also named on a memorial in St Nicholas’ Church, Nantwich, Essex. Two other brothers who also served – Cyprian, and Lionel – both survived.
Regimental No. 82255
15 June 1889 - 13 August 1915
Lance Bridge was the ninth of ten sons of Herbert and Adele Lenore St John (nee Graves) Bridge of Oriental Bay, Wellington. Lance was born in Wellington on 15 June 1889. He started school at Clyde Quay School, then moved to the Terrace School before going to Wellington College for his secondary level education.
Lance was a great lover of outdoor sports being a fine footballer, swimmer, boxer, oarsman and runner. For several years he represented the Wellington Football Club in senior matches and he was also a prominent member of the Star Rowing Club upon whose social committee he sat for some time. Prior to enlisting on 10 August 1914 he had some military experience as a member of his Wellington College cadets. When war broke out in August 1914 he was an assistant accountant with the Dunlop Rubber Company, Courtenay Place, Wellington.
He left his position to enlist only 6 days after war had been declared, being amongst the first to join the Samoan Expeditionary Force which left New Zealand on 12th August.
On enlistment his “apparent age” was 26 years 2 months; height 5 feet 9 inches; and weight 9 stone 10 lb. His complexion was described as dark with grey eyes and dark hair. His medical examination on 10 August 1914 in Wellington pronounced him fit for military service with good eyesight and hearing, well-formed limbs and chest, a normal heart and lungs, good teeth and free of any “slight defects,” including free from hernia, varicose veins and haemorrhoids. His religious profession was Church of England.
He joined the 5th Wellington Regiment, B Company, with the regimental number 1/495 and embarked on HMNZT 1 aboard the Monowai on 12 August 1914. The Monowai, along with the Moeraki, the other New Zealand troopship, were soon joined by two New Zealand warships (third class cruisers), the Psyche and the Philomel, and then a “P” class cruiser Pyramus which made their way together to Noumea, where two fully laden New Zealand colliers were waiting to join the expedition. Shortly after their arrival the Australian flagship Australia and the light-cruiser Melbourne arrived to bolster the “fleet” which after being provisioned sailed for Apia via a brief stop-over in Suva on Sunday 23rd August.
Arriving on the shores of Samoa on 29 August 1914, occupation was completed within 24 hours, without a single shot being fired, the local German authorities having offered no resistance. Samoa thus became the second German territory to fall to British imperial forces, Togoland (West Africa) having capitulated four days earlier.
During the ensuing occupation of Samoa an unofficial newspaper was produced to entertain and inform the troops stationed in and around Apia. This was called in Pull-thro' the unofficial organ of the Advance Party of the NZ Expeditionary Force, Apia, Samoa, Lance featured briefly on a couple of occasions:
“Privates Lance Bridge, Kirkwood, Russel, Jenkinson, Wiggins, Fraser, of No, 8 Platoon, are there at any time you want them, and are guaranteed to take a lot of beating either at meals or swimming.”
“Private Not-Paid-often-Saugh Bridge, despite his modesty, sometimes gives the natives a treat.”
Lance was hospitalised for 10 days from 26 December 1914 to 4 January 1915 suffering from dengue fever, from which he made a full recovery. A number of New Zealand troops in Samoa suffered from this condition. He left Apia on-board HMNZT No 16 (Talune) on 10 March and arrived in Wellington on 22 March 1915.
On his return he immediately (on 8 April 1915) joined the 4th Reinforcements as a member of the Otago Infantry Battalion as a member of the 14th Company with the regimental number of 8/8255. Lance left Wellington on 17 April 1915 on HMNZT No 21 (Willochra) which arrived in Suez on 25 May 1915.
He had less than 12 weeks to live.
He arrived on Gallipoli on 6 August 1915, and a mere three days later he was fatally wounded, trying to save a wounded mate who had served with him in Samoa. Both of them were caught by Turkish machine-gun fire on 9 August. Lance survived for five days, though mortally wounded, finally succumbing on 13 August. The manner of his death was described in a letter from Sergeant Vial to Lance’s father Herbert, who released the letter for publication in the Evening Post on October 22, 1915. The poignant and rather gruesome details as printed are available below. He died at sea on-board the hospital ship Drongola and was buried at sea. He was 27 years of age.
As a mark of respect the Wellington Football Club announced that it was forfeiting all its matches on 21 August 1915 to the memory of Private Lance Bridge and Lieutenant Grace, who had been a noted rifle shot in command of the sniping parties in No 3 section of the Anzac perimeter until he had been killed in action on Gallipoli on 8/8/15.
Lance Bridge’s medals were sent to his father Herbert on 7 September 1921.
Lance Bridge is remembered with honour at the Lone Pine Memorial Gallipoli and on the Roseneath War Memorial. He is also named, along with his brother Hugh, on a commemorative board inside St Barnabas Anglican church adjacent to the War Memorial. He is also named on a memorial in St Nicholas’ Church, Nantwich, Essex. Two other brothers who also served – Cyprian, and Lionel – both survived.